Oil or gas saver.



W. G. KNAPP. OIL OR GAS SAVER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 191a.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

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WILLIAM G. KNAPP, OF ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR G. WILLARD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

OIL OR GAS SAVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 119, 1916.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM G. KNAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alhambra, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Oil or Gas Saver, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the drilling of wells, and the principal object of the inven-.

tion is to provide means which may be used in connection with standard reciprocating drilling tools to prevent the escape of oil or gas from the well about the drilling line. WVhen such standard reciprocating tools are used, they are suspended on adrilling line and are raised and lowered rapidly, so that the cutting edges drill by impact. The drilling line passes upwardly through the casing of the well and is reciprocated by any suitable means at the upper end. As oil or gas may be suddenly liberated in the well, it is very desirable that some means be.provided to prevent its escaping violently from the top of the well around the drilling line. To prevent this, various types of oil or gas savers have been developed, in some of which a plunger is provided, this plunger surrounding the drilling line, moving with it, and being secured in gas-tight relationship thereto, the plunger -moving up and down inside a stufling box which is secured to the casing of the well in such a manner as to also be gas-tight. In the practical embodiment of such gas savers, it is necessary to use two stufling boxes, one of these which may be called a casing headstuifing box being secured to the. upper end of the casing about the plunger, and the other which may be called the plunger head stuffing box being secured in the upper end of the plunger about the drilling line. To insure the plunger moving with the line, it is necessary to provide some gripping means for securing the plunger to the line.

My invention relates to an improvement in the common form of gas saver, this improvement having a number of advantages which will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only: Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention as applied to an oil well. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partially in section, showing the construction of the grips,

clamp, and plunger head. Fig. 3 is a section on the plane represented by the line E -x of Fig. 2, this plane being viewed in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4; is a section on the plane represented by the line w m of Fig. 2, this plane being viewed in the direction of the arrows.

The invention is applied to an ordinary oil well in the following manner: A casing head 11 is secured to the upper end of a casing 12, the casing head extending down into the well and forming the wall thereof. Secured to the casing head 11, by means of bolts 13, is a casing head cover 1%, this cover being threaded at 15 and provided with a nut 16 inside of which suitable packing is placed, this packing surrounding and making a gas-tight joint with a plunger 17. The plunger 17 is a hollow tube preferably having a head 18 at its lower end, the opening therethrough being of sufficient size to allow a drilling line 19 to pass therethrough. The construction of the parts 11 to 19 inclusive is old in the art and forms no part of the present invention, except as it may enter into combination with the parts hereinafter to be described.

Threaded on the upper end of the plunger 17 is a plunger head 20, this plunger head having an opening 21 extending therethrough through which the line 19 passes, this line being surrounded by packing 22 which is compressed by a follower 23, this follower being forced downwardly by means of pivoted bolts 24 and nuts 25 which are threaded thereon. Formed on either side of the plunger head 20 are lugs 26 in which grips 27 and 28 are pivoted on pins 29. The grips 27 and 28 have shallow grooves 30 formed therein, these grooves being of such a size that the grips readily engage the line 19 when in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. A clamp 32 is placed around the grips 27 and 28, this clamp having an opening in one side thereof of sufficient size to allow it to be readily taken ofi of the drilling line if desired. A clamp screw 34:, having a handle 35.formed thereon, is threaded into one side of the clamp 32 and cooperates with the clamp 32, serving to force the grips 27 and 28 tightly against the line 19 as the end of the screw 34 presses against the grip 28. When the grips 27 and 28 are compressed against the line they serve to attach the plunger 17 solidly to the line 19, so that it moves therewith, reciprocating up and down inside the nut 16, the length of the plunger 17 being suifipient to allow the line 19 to move'through its full stroke without the head 18 or plunger head 20 striking against the cover 14. When it is desired to replace the packing 22, or when it is desired to remove the wire line, the screw 34 is loosened, and the clamp 32 is lifted out of engagement with the grips 27 and 28 and is taken off the wire line 19, passing through the opening 33 at the side thereof. The grips 27 and 28 are then lowered to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,.the follower 23 and its fastening members being thus made readily available.

The above invention has certain advantages over any previous forms which have.

been developed for the same purpose, in the following particulars: First, the clamps are absolutely self-centering, tending to grip the line 19 tightly. and to find their own bearing thereon, regardless of the amount of wear which may have occurred on the gripping surfaces. Second, the clamps'grip the drilling line 19 outside of the mud and water of the well, so that. there is no tendency for grit or dirt to wear them and so that they are easily manipulated. Third, when the clamps are folded down into the dotted position as shown in Fig. 2, which can be easily and quickly done, as described above, the follower 23 and its connected parts are readily accessible. Fourth, when it is desired to withdraw the line from the well, the grips 27 and 28 are folded down into their dotted position as shown in Fig. 2, the follower 23 and the packing 22 are removed from the opening 21, and it is possible to withdraw the line 19 from the well rapidly without serious wear on any parts.

Summing the advantages up, it will .be

seen that a gas saver constructed in accord:

ance with the above specification is very durable, very easy to manipulate, and quite efiicient.

I claim as my invention 1. An oil or gas saver comprising a plunger of suitable size to surround a drilling line, said plunger being somewhat longer than the stroke of the drilling tools, means for making a gas tight joint between the outer surface of said plunger and the casing head of the well in which it operates, a plunger packing box for making a gas tight joint between the upper end of the plunger and the drilling line, and grips pivoted to said plunger packing box below said plunger packing box and adapted to grip said drilling line above said plunger packing box.

2. An oil or gas saver comprising a plunger of suitable size to surround a drilling line, said plunger being somewhat longer than the stroke of the drilling tools, means for making a gas tight joint between the outer surface of said plunger and the casing head of the well in which it operates, a plunger head secured to the upper end of said plunger, a plunger head stuffing box in said plunger head so formed that it makes a gas tight closure between said plunger and said drilling line, and grips pivoted to said plunger head and adapted to grip said drilling line above said plunger head stufling box.

3. An oil or gas saver comprising a plunger of suitable size to surround a drilling line, said plunger being somewhat longer than the stroke of the drilling tools, means for making a gas tight joint between the outer surface of said plunger and the casing head of the well in which it operates, a plunger head secured to the upper end of said plunger, a plunger head stuffing box in said plunger head so formed that it makes a gas tight closure between said plunger and said drilling line, grips pivoted to said plunger head so formed as to engage said drilling line above said plunger head stuffing box, and a. clamp adapted to cause said grips to grip said line.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 27th day of December, 1915.

WILLIAM G. KNAPP. 

